Her forthcoming EP, It All Comes To End, draws from diaries, relationships and experiences spanning the past four years, with its seven songs forming individual snapshots of love, heartbreak, identity, money and expectation. From the memories woven through ‘Red Velvet’ to new single ‘A Confession (I’m Broke)’, which playfully punctures the illusion of having everything together, the record captures an artist learning to be present, embrace imperfection and take control of her own story.

That sense of agency has followed Essence since she left a tennis scholarship in the US and returned home to pursue music, putting herself “in the driver’s seat” of her life for the first time. We caught up with her to talk about songwriting as self-discovery, finding freedom in honesty, learning from the artists she’s shared stages with and why, ultimately, she wants her music to make people feel truly seen. Read the Q&A below.

For anyone discovering Essence Martins for the first time through this interview, how would you describe yourself as an artist – and what is it about songwriting that you feel compelled to keep coming back to?

“I was always a creative kid. I had a whimsical imagination and I loved to draw and create any type of art. I wasn’t great at English in school but I adored the creative writing classes. My mind would often be away with the fairies until something pulled me back down to earth. Telling stories and self expression is a big part of who I am and songwriting is the best way I know how! I think I write in search of the truth so a lot of my artistry is based around my honest feelings and thoughts which are constantly changing and evolving. There’s so much to navigate in this life so there’s so much that brings me back to songwriting!”

Before pursuing music, you were on a tennis scholarship in the US and ultimately made the decision to return home and follow songwriting instead. Do you remember the point when making music stopped feeling like something you loved and became something you knew you needed to pursue?

“Yes! When I came home after my freshman year I quite literally had all day and night to learn my favourite songs, work on my songwriting, get better at piano and guitar and more importantly watch my favourite live performances on YouTube for hours. The time spent doing all of that really showed me what I felt I needed to do. I became so inspired watching artists on my screen living a dream that felt so far away and after some months the penny dropped and I got in the drivers seat in my own life for the first time.”

Emotional honesty seems to sit at the heart of your songwriting, with your upcoming EP It All Comes To End drawing from diaries, relationships and experiences from the past four years. Does writing give you access to feelings or parts of yourself that you sometimes find harder to understand outside of music?

“It does! I feel like my songwriting often knows me better than I do! It sometimes feels like a portal to my own emotions that I haven’t even yet realised or processed. I can write a song where I’m not really sure what it’s about and then after a few months realise so clearly what situation I was talking about or what experience I’m pulling from. I think it helps me be brutally honest in a way you wouldn’t in real life. You can write a song that’s truthful or fictional and no one really knows but you, and that allows you to go really deep or playful without it feeling too personal because it’s a song after all and it doesn’t have to be serious or true if you say it isn’t.”

‘Red Velvet’ captures how tiny, everyday things can become loaded with meaning after we lose someone. Are you naturally someone who holds onto those little details and memories, and do you think that shapes the kind of songwriter you’ve become?

“I love to reminisce and I especially love to hold onto fond memories. I think I’m good at that but when it comes to something negative I’m rather good at forgetting – It’s funny how our brains protect us! What I’m trying to say is that I’m selective about what I choose to remember and what I forget and it likely does shape what I write about!” 

‘A Confession (I’m Broke)’ is funny and playful, but underneath it is a very real experience of looking like you’re doing well while privately struggling to make ends meet. As an artist in an industry where visibility and appearances can feel so important, was there something freeing about puncturing that illusion and simply saying, “Actually, this is what my life looks like”?

“I had so much fun writing and producing this song with Jay!! It was definitely a highlight for me! It was so fun to feel completely free in the studio and just speak my mind. After we wrote it though I wondered if it was too honest and had a few doubts but I just enjoyed the process so much and knew that an honest message like this would resonate with people so we had to run with it! There’s so much beauty and strength in honesty and it’s important to puncture the illusion of perfection every now and then we’re all humans just trying to get by.”

You’ve described It All Comes To End as a lesson you’re still learning yourself – that life is finite, so we should live it – and talked about wanting to become the “front seat driver” in your own story. Do you feel that making these songs has helped you understand what taking control of your own life actually looks like?

“There’s always gonna be lessons to learn and I’m sure there will be in every song or EP I put out. But I still feel like I’m in a very formative part in my career so everything feels so dramatic and far away and like you’re running out of time. So because of that it’s so important to remind ourselves to slow down, be in the moment but also don’t let life pass you by. Each song has a little lesson and the EP encompasses the idea that life is precious so we must take control and be present. I think that I’m learning how to be that more and more with every project I put out.”

You’ve spent a lot of time performing alongside other artists over the last few years. What have those experiences taught you about the kind of performer you want to be when you step onto a stage as Essence Martins – and what does sharing such personal songs with an audience give you in return?

“I’ve been so privileged to open for so many incredible artists in the last few years such as Rachel Chinouriri, Maisie Peters, Ellie Goulding, MIKA and so many more. I even had the opportunity to play in Birdy’s band. I’ve been able to watch and learn how they hold themselves on stage and how they give so much to an audience. I’ve been inspired so many times and I’m learning how to do that myself in my own way. It’s truly been an honour to witness.

“I know that I want to be the type of performer who leaves an audiences feeling hopeful and inspired but also one that provokes thought and deep emotion. I want people to feel bigger when they leave a show than when they came in.

“If I can do that, that’ll be the best gift I can receive, a genuine mutual understanding between two people.”

As your music reaches more people, what do you hope someone finds in your songs that perhaps you once needed to find in music yourself?

“Woahhh what a question! I hope that people find true understanding. There’s nothing quite as beautiful as truly being seen. The human condition is so complex but our experiences all overlap and when we find that sweet spot of perfect compassion, empathy and understanding, we will all be okay.”

It All Comes To An End is out October 29.

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Some of the lyrics are genuinely goosebump-inducing, made even more powerful by Essence’s dreamy, intimate delivery. Gorgeous harmonies drift effortlessly through the stripped-back arrangement, creating a song that feels both painfully raw and softly nostalgic at the same time. It’s the kind of heartbreak that lingers long after the relationship has ended, not through dramatic outbursts, but in the quiet moments where memories unexpectedly resurface.

The accompanying visualiser perfectly mirrors that fragile atmosphere, placing Essence alone inside a glass box in a moonlit field, illuminated by the warm glow of a red lamp. Reflecting on the song, she explains: “It’s kind of like a grief that you feel even though they’re physically still here in the flesh.” She also describes ‘Red Velvet’ as being about “reminiscing, regret and how memory can distort the past,” adding that we often remember relationships through “rose-tinted glasses.” It’s a sentiment that feels painfully relatable, making ‘Red Velvet’ a quietly devastating portrait of love, loss and the memories that never quite let us go.

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Speaking about the inspiration behind the track, she says “’Told Me So’ is about someone I had a massive crush on for years. I didn’t say or do anything while we were living together because it was complicated, but years went by, and we no longer lived in the same country. I remember telling myself I would regret it—hence the title ‘Told Me So’—and, of course, it became too late.”

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On ‘Garden of Eden,’ Essence Martins’ delicate vocals reflect on the feeling of making mistakes and wanting to hit reset and start again, accompanied by soothing instrumentation. She explains “’Garden of Eden’ is about yearning for the idyllic, a clean slate, an easy ride without all the difficult, ugly things that make life so beautiful. It’s normal to want this, but not realistic, and the ‘Garden of Eden,’ in this case, is a metaphor for an idyllic, perfect world. The song asks the question, ‘Can I go back to start over again?’ and the answer is, of course, ‘No,’ which leaves the song and EP on a cliffhanger: What do we do now? And, of course, the answer is to keep going.”

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‘Mrs. Right’ is an anthem for the emotional rollercoaster of dating. Inspired by a situationship, Essence’s ethereal tone captures a moment of vulnerability. Essence explains: “I wrote ‘Mrs. Right’ in August 2022 about a situationship with someone who ended up getting into a perfect relationship after me. I was in a time of my life where everyone around me was getting into relationships, so I was feeling petty about the fact that I wasn’t in one, and that right after me, this person got into what seemed like a great one with someone else. I felt like a kind of stepping stone or doormat that people could walk all over. This emotion lasted only a couple of days, but I got a song out of it!”.

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On ‘Salvation’s Forgotten Us’, Essence’s ethereal vocals explore the powerful feelings of rejecting expectations, embracing freedom, embodying courage, and being true to herself, set against beautifully delicate instrumentation.

Reflecting on her personal inspiration for the song, Essence shares: “I wrote this song at a time when I felt ashamed of my queerness. I was sick of feeling this way, so I pretended I didn’t care what people thought and tried to write a song from the perspective of someone who is brave and proud. This person followed her dreams, loved who she wanted to, and was unapologetically herself. I ended up writing about the character I wanted to become, and even though I still feel far from her, I’m working towards her every day. I still care too much about what others think of me, which is partly why the song is very open-ended lyrically, but I love how it can be interpreted as whatever it needs to be for the listener.”

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“‘Wandering Souls’ is about curiosity. It is a small window into my mind. I often wonder what happens to us when we complete our journey on earth,” Essence explains. “To me, wandering souls feels like a child who has an endless curiosity about the ways of the world. It has all these questions that no one can really answer.”

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‘Brussel Sprouts’ is a tender self-penned dedication to Essence’s twin sister and the relationship with her family. Essence explains, “My twin sister and I understand each other so well that we know exactly what to do when one of us is having a hard time. I also have two older sisters who encourage and influence me to be the best person I can be. For me ‘Brussel Sprouts’ symbolises a rite of passage. A lot of us grew up hating Brussel sprouts as kids because of their bitter taste, but we were all told to eat them because they’re good for us. Everyone has to overcome obstacles to get to the light at the end of a tunnel and the Brussel Sprouts are just the little bumps in life that we all must encounter.”

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Drawing inspiration from a fusion of indie, folk, pop and soul, Essence’s sound is uniquely her own. Essence’s ethereal vocals tell a tale of love entangled in uncertainty, accompanied by harmonies that blend seamlessly with the dreamy strum of guitar.

Essence shares: “’Pending Status’ is a song about being involved with someone who isn’t fully committed. The flame you once had for them starts to burn out and eventually you have to move on. We shouldn’t wait around forever for someone who can’t make their mind up. It’s always better to know where you stand, even if you don’t get the answer you’re looking for. Knowing is better than not knowing.”

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